Go to

Minister of Police supports major new recruitment drive for officers

The Minister of Police, Stuart Nash, today joined New Zealand Police in launching a new recruitment campaign aimed at attracting hundreds of new cops to join next year.

The eye-catching new video campaign is aimed at recruiting officers from a range of backgrounds and ethnicities to help serve their communities and keep the country safe.

“The Government has a vision of improving the wellbeing of all New Zealanders and I believe Police can play a big part in this.”

That is why the Labour and NZ First coalition government is striving towards hiring 1,800 sworn officers.

The details of this package are still being worked through, however Police are already aiming to recruit an additional 220 officers this financial year.

“I know Police staff do a great job, often in what can only be described as trying circumstances. They deal with New Zealanders when they’re at their most vulnerable and protect us all from harm.

“This video, starring more than 70 real staff, is an effective way to showcase there is much more to working for Police than a lot of people realise, and that the organisation needs people who represent all of the communities in New Zealand.”

New Zealand Police have launched the video via its strong social media channels as this is the best way to engage with the 18-24 age group who are the ideal candidates to become new cops.

“I commend the Police on their recent efforts to attract more women and people from diverse ethnic backgrounds to the job. Since 2010 the number of female constabulary members has increased and now stands at nearly 20%. 2015 was the first year where a third of recruits were women and Police are aiming for 50% in the future.

“Various initiatives such as Te Wānanga O Aotearoa and Unitec pre-Police courses are underway at a district level and supported at a national level to increase the diversity of Police applicants. Last month Rotorua Boys' High School and Rotorua Girls' High School were the first schools in the country to add a NCEA-accredited police studies subject to their curriculum. These are great steps.

“New Zealand Police staff are already doing fantastic work. Now the organisation just needs to recruit more people to help make even more of an impact and this new campaign will help them do just that,” says Mr Nash.